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With its ups and downs and twists and turns, I’m sure most of you
can readily appreciate the metaphor of life as a rollercoaster.

This analogy also often applies to startup life, but the metaphor
isn't completely accurate. The truth is, as an entrepreneur, it
is hard to predict when you’ll reach the top or when you’re going
to tumble. The twists you have to take to best position your
company are often hard to forecast and unforeseen circumstances
-- whether it be a sudden change of heart from a funding source
or a loss of an influential first customer -- can send you right
back to the drawing board without a complete roadmap of where
you’re going next.

So, I think of startup life more like riding a rollercoaster in
the dark -- you know there will be ups and downs but you can't
anticipate when they will occur.

This is important to keep in mind when it comes to building your
team. In my experience there are three types of people you’ll
come across in forming your first team – and they all have vastly
different reactions to the startup rollercoaster.

The Thrill Seeker lives for the ride. He or she
thrives under the high-pressure, time-consuming atmosphere that
envelops most startups while embracing both the celebrations and
unexpected problems with equal fervor. Once the ride is over
(i.e. the company has failed, been acquired or reached a certain
level of stability), they find a new rollercoaster to jump on.

The Thrill Seeker can be a very valuable team member. Many have
been on the ride before, and, while they can’t predict the turns
your company might have to take (and they love the fact they
can’t), they can be an essential source of expertise and counsel
to other less experienced teammates, guiding them through peaks
and valleys.

That said, be wary of taking on too many Thrill Seekers. They can
be headstrong and may attempt to take control of direction --
even when it’s not theirs for the taking.

Do you remember your first rollercoaster? You would size it up
while staring at it from the safety of the ground. You'd try to
dismiss any last-second regrets as your strapped yourself into
the seat; your stomach would tie itself in knots as the cart
inched towards the first apex. Those were your last moments as a
rollercoaster "Noob." (my name for newbie.)

As a founder, you won’t be in short supply of Noobs to bring
aboard. Often on the younger end of the age spectrum, Noobs have
more time to devote to startup life and want the experience. They
are also being pulled in fewer directions by external factors and
are commonly drawn in by the more romantic – if naively misguided
-- notions of startup life.

Pay close attention to the Noobs on your team. Nobody really
knows how they will handle riding the startup rollercoaster for
the first time. Some will fall in love with the experience and
become great team members going forward. Others will end up
regretting the decision to turn their life over to a startup.

Particularly during times of unforeseen problems, these Noobs
will look back longingly at the more stable lifestyle they had
before joining your team, and they may become disgruntled, which
could be toxic to your startup’s chemistry.To avoid this, make
sure to consistently check in on them to see how they’re doing
and encourage honesty and transparency in their communications.

However, Noobs also bring with them the benefit of fresh
perspective. New ideas are the lifeblood of small teams and those
with little to no entrepreneurial experience can also be the ones
who have refreshing ideas.

At the amusement park, there is always the group of people who
are content to hold the bags and belongings of those riding the
rollercoasters. These are the Onlookers – the people who have
long since made peace with the fact that they do not wish to
ride.

As an entrepreneur, there are more than a few people I have met
in my professional life who I wish expressed interest in joining
me on my new ventures. Whether they are talented marketers,
salespeople or developers, they are among the best I’ve have seen
at their profession yet they have no interest in helping beyond
offering kind words and best wishes.

As tempting as it is to recruit an Onlooker, I would recommend
looking elsewhere for talent. They may jump on the ride (after a
lot of persuasion) but there heart just isn't in the entrepreneur
lifestyle.

Startup life, like a rollercoaster, is a high-pressure
experience, and no one reacts to pressure in the same way. You
have to be selective and deliberate in choosing the right people
for your founding team.